This invention relates to supporting, at distributed and spaced points, long lengths of pipe, and on an open, underlying framework, such as a framework of transversely extending I-beams, or I-beam-like structures, employing a system of plural, pipe-attached pipe shoes, place-fixing pipe anchors, and place-confining, but longitudinal relative motion accommodating, pipe guides. More particularly, it pertains to a modular system featuring such shoes, anchors, and guides, and readily accommodating usage with pipes of differing diameters.
A preferred and best-mode embodiment of the system is specifically disclosed herein in a setting featuring, as an underlying, supporting framework, an organized arrangement of conventional, elongate I-beams having the usual upright, central webs, and horizontal upper and lower flanges. Accordingly all references herein which are made to I-beams and their conventional features, are so made with the understanding that such I-beam, etc. terminology is to be given broad meaning so as to include various elongate I-beam-like, i.e., elongate I-beam-characteristic, supporting structures. Those skilled in the art, from a reading of the invention disclosure herein, along with a viewing of the accompanying drawings, will readily understand how to construct, for use in conjunction with the system of the present invention, appropriate supporting framework structures that have the convenient “I-beam-like” qualities.
There are many facilities and installations wherein, extending from one location to another, are long, typically straight-linear lengths of pipe which require appropriate positionally stabilizing support provided in a manner on an underlying framework which does not inhibit a supported pipe-length's understood “need” for the non-constraining accommodation of longitudinal extension and contraction due to ambient temperature variations. Preferably, to accomplish this, it is important that the structural elements which are employed to establish the requisite locations of positionally stable support on top of a supporting framework be relatively simple in construction, easily put in place, secure in their abilities to establish positional stability without interfering with thermal expansion and contraction, and additionally, structured with a kind of “universal”, modular capability for handling pipes of different diameters in a reasonable range of conventional pipe diameters.
The modular system which is proposed by the present invention uniquely, and very satisfactorily, addresses these considerations.
According to a preferred and best-mode embodiment of the invention, what is proposed is a modular system for supporting, on an underlying framework, and at plural pipe-underside locations, an elongate linear pipe having a long axis. The system includes (a) for each such location, a modular pipe shoe anchorable to the pipe's underside at that location, (b) for one only of these locations, a modular anchor fixedly securable to the framework, and adapted, when so secured, to receive and fixedly anchor the shoe, and thus the pipe also, at the one only location, against any motion relative to the framework, and (c) for each other pipe-underside location, a modular guide fixedly securable to the framework, and adapted, when so secured, guidably to receive the particular shoe disposed at such other location in a manner permitting it, and thus the pipe also, at this other location solely reversible sliding motion relative to the framework along a line substantially paralleling the pipe's long axis.
A long pipe length supported through such modular-shoe, single-anchor, and plural-guide systemic components is well stabilized positionally, and though the single anchor point of pipe-length support cannot move relative to the underlying, supporting frame work, the remainder of the pipe length can lengthen and shrink as needed to respond to ambient thermal variations.
Another way of expressing the invention is that it features a modular system for supporting, on plural, linearly spaced and distributed points of support furnished in an underlying framework, an elongate linear pipe having an underside, and extending above the framework with its long axis disposed linearly from support point to support point in the framework—this system including (1) for each support point, and adapted to sit there on the framework, a modular pipe shoe anchored to the pipe's underside at an appropriate, selected location disposed along the length of the pipe, (2) for one only of the support points, a modular anchor fixedly securable to the framework at that one only support point, adapted, when so secured, fixedly to receive, and to lock against any motion relative to the framework, as a locked shoe, the shoe which is anchored to the relevant, associated pipe-underside location disposed along the pipe's length, and (3) for each other support point, a modular guide fixedly securable to the framework at such other support point, adapted, when so secured, guidably to receive, as a guided shoe, the particular shoe which is anchored to the relevant such-other-support-point-associated pipe-underside location disposed along the pipe's length, and to capture that guided shoe in a manner permitting only reversible sliding movement of the guided shoe on top of and relative to the framework along a line substantially paralleling the pipe's long axis.
As specifically illustrated and described herein, a length of pipe “handled” by the system of the invention derives underlying support from a framework formed with plural, elongate, laterally spaced, coplanar, parallel I-beams whose upper flanges occupy a substantially common plane, with a supported pipe extending with its long axis substantially normal to the long axes of the I-beams. This common plane is preferably, though not necessarily, horizontal. The single, employed anchor, and each of the plural, employed guides, includes clamping structure for securing and positionally stabilizing an associated pipe length at a different support point to the upper flange in a different I-beam in the underlying framework.
Each shoe possesses a planar, rectangular base, or base plate, with a selected thickness, and laterally outwardly facing front, rear and lateral edges, and each clamping structure includes a pair of laterally spaced, elongate clamping elements each adapted, during a condition of securement of the respective, associated anchor or guide to an I-beam upper flange, to lie adjacent one of said shoe's edges. In a more particular sense, the clamping elements in an anchor are specifically adapted to lie, one each, adjacent a shoe's front and rear edges and against the undersides of the opposite edges in an I-beam's upper flange, and the clamping elements in each guide are specifically adapted to lie, one each, adjacent a shoe's lateral edges and in a condition spanning the upper surface of an I-beam's upper flange between those edges. Additionally, the clamping-structure elements in each guide have thicknesses substantially matching the thickness of a shoe base, and include spaced confrontingly facing, parallel guide edges that are guidingly engageable with the lateral edges in a shoe base, and attached to each guide's clamping-structure elements is a laterally projecting tab adapted to overlie the base of a shoe which is guidingly associated with the guide.
These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent as the detailed description which follows below is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.